Air cooler



Sept. 18, 1934. G, 5 HALL 1,973,981-

AIR COOLER Filed Aug. 4, 1933 INVENTOR GeaSHaLL BY QMQLMML ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This application is a continuance in part of my application for patent upon Air coolers, filed July 15, 1931, Serial No. 550,879.

This invention relates to air cooling devices and particularly to one of a nature especially designed for circulating and cooling the air in buildings of various kinds so that in hot weather such air may be maintained in a comfortable temperature for the workers in the buildings.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for the purpose arranged to utilize a small stream of water as the cooling medium, and so constructed that the relatively warm air taken into the apparatus at one end will 1 be discharged at the other end at approximately the temperature of the water.

A further object is to provide an apparatus for the purpose which may be directly interposed in the main air duct of an air heating system or in 0 a room of the building itself, as in machine shops, sales and display rooms and like places which are not equipped with basements.

A further object of the invention is-to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eifective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:.

Fig. 1 is an end view of the cooler looking at the discharge end thereof.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus with the near side of the casing removed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged front view of a cooling unit, partly in section.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes a rectangular casing which is open at both ends. Fixed in the casing in longitudinal spaced relation are a plurality of water circulating cooling units 2. These are preferably of the zigzag passage type and are provided with water tanks 3 and t at the top and bottom respectively, between which the zigzag passages P extend.

The cooling units extend transversely of the casing and are practically the same width and height as said casing so that air blown horizontally through the casing must pass between the water containing passages of the units. The unit at the air discharge end of the casing is disposed directly adjacent such end as shown. At the opposite end of the casing a fan 5 driven by an electric motor 6 is mounted in direct connection with the casing. The fan is arranged to draw air horizontally from outside the casing and force such air through the casing and the cooling units toward the opposite end.

A water inlet pipe 7 connected to a source of flowing water is connected to the lower tank 4 of the cooling unit nearest the dischage end of the cooler. A pipe 8 leads from the top tank 3 of said cooling unit to the bottom tank 4 of the next cooling unit, and similar pipes 9 connect the other cooling unitsin the same relationship. An outlet pipe 10 leads from the top tank 3 of the cooling unit nearest the fan to the air intake 'end of the casing. Both the pipes '7 and 10 extend into their respective units for the full width thereof as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and are provided with perforations 7a. and 10a respectively. Thus the water moving into and out of the cooler is distributed into the same and collected for discharge therefrom in an equalized and even volume across the entire width of the cooler. A

The cooling units tanks .3 and 4 are each divided into two vertically separated compartments by diagonally disposed perforated spreader plates 11; the respective intake and outlet pipes of course tapping the outermost of the tank compartments. These spreader plates have the effect of evenly distributing the flow of water from the relatively small pipes over the full width of the radiator tanks, and into the zigzag passages P.

The specific zigzag form of the passages is a valuable aid to the cooling efilciency of the structure. The cold water entering the .front cooling unit at the bottom and being forced upwardly through the zigzag passages, the coldest water is thrown against the sloping walls of the passages, forcing the warmer water to the top. Similarly as the water enters the bottom of the next cooling unit after dropping through the connecting pipe, the action is repeated, and so on through all the cooling units. As a result, the air flow-- ing through the casing and past the zigzag water passages, is subjected to the maximum cooling action.

By reason of this arrangement the warm air blown into the intake end of the casing is par tially cooled by contact with the adjacent cooling unit and gradually becomes cooler as it passes through the successive cooling units until it finally leaves the casing. The particular arrangement of the water circulating pipe gives the greatest possible efficiency and cooling action. The initial intake of the cold water being connected to the cooling unit through which the air passes last, said air as discharged will be almost the same temperature as that of the entering water which, even in hot weather, is of course relatively cool, especially if it is piped from underground as is customary.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure fromthe spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims, v

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: K v

1. An air cooler comprising a horizontal row 0 upstanding liquid circulating cooling units, an open ended casing in which said cooling units are closely fitted, means to force air into the casing at one end, means to admit a cooling fluid into the bottom of that cooling unit most remote from 'the end of the casing through which the air initially enters the same, a pipe communicating from the top of the latter cooling unit to the bottom of the next succeeding cooling unit, and a like pipe communicating from the top of each of the other cooling units to the bottom of the next succeeding cooling unit in the direction of the air inlet into the casing, the cooling unit nearest such air inlet having a discharge outlet at the top thereof.

2. An air cooler comprising a row of spaced liquid circulating cooling units, an open' ended casing in which said cooling units are mounted and engaging the peripheries of the cooling units, means to force air lengthwise through'the casing, and means to circulatewater into the bottom and out of the top of.the cooling units, said cooling units including vertical zigzag passages whereby the coldest water of the upwardly rising how will be thrown against the sloping walls of the passages to exert a maximum cooling effect on the air forced past and contacting with the walls of said passages.

3. In an air conditioning device, means to set up a flow of air to .be conditioned, water circulating units interposed in the path of such flow, each unit including top and bottom tanks and vertical up a flow of air to be conditioned, a water circulating unit interposed in the path of such flow, such unit including top and bottom tanks and vertical Water passages connecting said tanks, water intake and outlet pipes connected to the bottom and top tanks respectively, and means in the lower tank to distribute the water entering the same through the intake pipe evenly to the various vertical Water passages.

GEORGE S. HALL. 

